Deeppockets

Character: A master thief can steal from you and you never know it. The ultimate thief is one who can steal from you while on another plane. A coin in the hand is worth five hundred in your Bag of Holding. These hands reach everywhere, stealing from those who covet the most. Wealth is important, but don't let your greed get ahold of you. Pacing one's self is the road to success.

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Prolenz is a githyanki psionicist/thief who lords over the sprawling sight that is Deeppockets. He is the ringleader of a group collectively known as the Filchers, who have staked claim to this site. As long as the jink rolls in to him, he's fair and protective. But as some greedy bashers have found, trying to pull the blinds on Prolenz can get you lost in a bad way.

It is heavily rumored that Prolenz and his Filchers are under decree by the Lich Queen, herself. It does stand to reason that something as potentially powerful as Deeppockets would be coveted by Githyanki society. Prolenz is quiet on the subject. He maintains that he rules, but he doesn't go around threatening ladies with that kind of power.

Certain magical items allow for storage of objects in the Astral Plane while a basher moves around on the Prime or some Outer Plane. Portable Holes, Bags of Holding, they're no big secret, and it seems that almost any Prime basher with tons of coinage and loads of magic has one. These wondrous items usually have similar make-ups. Strands of ether. Webbing from phase spiders. Beams from astral luminaries. The right weaving allows for an form of trespass into the plane of thought, forming pockets in all corners of the Astral Shore.

What if a score of these magic items, say Portable Holes, were all created of materials from the same source? What similarities could this bring about? It has been done, engineered by the Filchers. Deeppockets is not so much a city as it is a labyrinth, built atop the fabrics of these arcane items. Each interdimensional space formed by these bags and holes takes up a set amount of room. They form something pliable yet solid which is referred to them as a balloon. The Filchers have manipulated events so that they have a great number of these balloons in the same locale. So what, some of you berks would say? Who needs real estate on an infinite plane?

It's not the stable ground that matters - it's what's inside. Bashers have been warned that these items can be pierced on the inside causing rifts and ruining the bags. It's happened numerous times, and the objects inside are spilled out across the Astral. Normally, such items would be lost, scattered to the maelstrom. But the Filchers are ready and waiting for these events, netting in the valuables. Sometimes true catastrophes will happen and adventurers and materials from outside the bag will be pulled through. The Filchers can't let someone fly away with their deserved loot, so they're usually put down. It's a odd existence, but one that most of these greedy cutters can endure.

Having little shops and nothing mundane such as farms, the militia isn't your usual grouping. The only major concerns here are collection and protection, so everyone here in the Filchers are part of the militia. They are trained to watch for possible bursts and defend this territory to the death, if necessary. They are formed of different classes and draws of life, greed the unifying trait. The pay is good, so Deeppockets is defended well.

Many mistake the fact that the Filchers only sit around and await a mishap. They're much more canny than that. Some of the rogues work to harvest the materials needed and supply those mages who craft the items. Others work as recruiters, finding nearby balloons, and using special methods to attract them to Deeppockets.

Over time, the Filchers have learned to spot the signs of when a bag will burst. There are protective nets around that catch the items which can fly out at tremendous speeds. Also, there is a dark that only Prolenz and a few of his trusted psionicists have mastered. It is possible for them to use their psionic ability and reach in and 'steal' from a bag or portable hole. They are not able to tell what is in a balloon beforehand, and the drain is considerable, so it's rare that this is done. Also there is a risk of alerting a victim who could be capable of retribution, if they are not discreet enough.

For a blood in the know (which isn't too frequent), he can pay to have one of these special Bag of Holdings sold to a particular basher. Then for another costly fee, he can have an object of choice removed from the victim's bag. It's insidious, but it is costly for all parties involved.

Prolenz keeps a good lock on his town. Those who work for him are mentally scanned to make sure no one is too greedy in these affairs. He's a trifle paranoid, but it works well with his methods and policies. He's not defenseless, either. Prolenz recently acquired a Silver Sword which he keeps very secret. It has its devastating power, sure, but Prolenz has also found that it can puncture a balloon from the outside, which can't be done by ordinary weapons. The effect tends to suck matter through the rift until it folds upon itself. Already he's sent an assassin spiraling out to some Prime world. He's hoping he won't have to use it anymore, because that really affects profits...